30th June 2001
Libbra time running out as Hibs go Greek
Hibs close to giving up on French striker
(Stuart Crowther)

HIBS ARE TODAY CLOSE TO GIVING UP on bringing Marc Libbra to Easter Road.  The club have set a deadline of midnight tonight, after which they will look elsewhere in their search for two new strikers to join the club ahead of the SPL kick-off on July 28th.

And Alex McLeish looks set to go Greek should Toulouse continue to prove unreceptive to moves by the club to bring Libbra back to Easter Road.  Helgi Sigurdsson, a 26-year-old Icelandic international could swap the green of Panathonaikos for Hibernian if the clubs bid for Libbra fails, with Alex McLeish confirming last night: "Sigurdsson from Panathanaikos is a player who is available and we can have a look at him but we know there's other interest in him from England.  Also the Smart deal is on-going, we have some details to find out and then maybe we can take it on another step."

Helgi Sigurdsson

It is though the possible failure to seal a deal over Libbra that would prove a major disappointment to Hibs fans, fired up by the performances of the striker during his three-month loan spell at the club.  McLeish said: "We can't allow it to drag on forever. We're now into training and the players need to get themselves fit and we don't want Libbra, or anybody else that may sign for us, to come in in two weeks' time away behind everybody. We've tried hard to get him, we wouldn't have gone through all the to-ing and fro-ing to Toulouse if we didn't want to bring him here. Hibs fans should be aware that we've made a big effort to get him."

Sigurdsson is a well-established international who had a spell with German club Stuttgart, and is described as a player in the same mould as Libbra - however Hibs will once again need to fight off interest from several English clubs if they are to clinch a deal.  The Hibs boss knows that his side face a difficult task in the new season, as the standards set now have to be matched.  He said: "I think the players realise now the demands on them. Obviously, with the standards they set last season, they have to try and maintain that and have the pressures that go with it, and I think that because of those reasons they've come back in reasonably fine fettle.  You can't underestimate pre-season in any way, shape or form. If you miss a couple of weeks of it, it can set you back a couple of months. That's how crucial it is. There's been a good show so far, nobody has struggled, and there's improvement to come in a lot of the kids, but I'm also really pleased with the first-team effort."

De La Cruz - settled in well (hibs.net)

Record signing Ulises de la Cruz has settled in well to pre-season training, and has further impressed his boss who said: "It's always going to take time for any foreign player to get used to his new surroundings. But there is no doubt he is a very talented player who is very, very quick and has great stamina."  And it is not only new signings that are being watched carefully by Hibs coaching staff as they prepare the side for the challenges ahead, with youngsters such as Gary O'Connor showing signs of further breakthrough into the first team.  O'Connor featured in the last few league games of the season, and McLeish is now looking for the young striker to improve further.  He said: "Big Gary came knocking on the door at the end of last season with around 20 goals in about five games and he should get a wee bit stronger again. But we don't want to rush and thrust anyone in too early."